 Re: Interviews with Student Midwives
What year are you in?
4th year
Whats are your personal circumstances?
i.e. married/kids/single etc
Engaged for many years and mum of one, she's 4 1/2
What did you do before you became a student midwife?
Ha ha always makes me laugh this one, I worked in an abbatoir aswell as every other pub/shop/factory in the area (over many years though!)
Why did you choose Midwifery?
Due to positive and negative experiences in pregnancy, different midwives I aspired/or didn't aspire to be like, and nursing had always interested me until then
How did you feel on your first day at uni and in practice?
First day at uni, was exciting yet scary and very surreal I couldn't believe there was me the thick northener in uni, who on earth did I think I was. And in practice, I was on community, clinic very first thing with 2 very qualified midwives slightly intimidating and once again surreal, palpation was amusing to me as I felt well nothing much really, taking bp? I heard nothing! So urinalysis was my highlight!!!
Please share a highlight of being on the course, so far...
Ha ha what apart from urinalysis? Well I suppose when my mentor wrote lovely things on my report and added her own little comments on how we gelled and debriefed one another after traumatizing delivery, lovely lady she is.
Please share a low point and how you got through that...
Low point was 3rd year all medical and none midwifery stuff, nurses on wards constantly telling me I wouldn't see a delivery on the ward fnar fnar sooo hilarious and original, also a really bad experience on delivery the other week I'd rather not discuss, needless to say I wrote straight to my tutor to offload asap and discussed with previous v.nice mentor that helped immensely
Do you prefer academic or clinical?
I think most would say clinical to this however some lectures I do find fascinating, such as mental health, drugs liason and epilepsy have been brill.
What is your favourite midwifery text book?
ooh thats a toughy, I would say Myles as its good value for money but also drugs formulary for midwives
What is your favourite midwifery literature book? i.e. babycatcher.
Gotta be spiritual midwifery
What is your shift preference? earlies/lates/long days and what time to they start and finish
MM nights as the teaching is fab on nights, and all midwives seem to bake cakes lol they are 8pm-8.30am 3 in a row is enough to finish me off though, I also do long days, same in reverse, but have the option or earlies/lates also. Its good at our trust as we do our own off duty to coincide with mentor, so we make sure between us we're not battling for women
Are you a member of a midwifery organisation? i.e RCM/ARM/LLL
RCM
Do you feel supported in practice? if yes/no please tell us why that is.
I would say overall yes the midwives are very good, if you tell them your worries they are very good for offloading and understanding however golden rule-DO NOT GOSSIP WITH THEM!!!
Do you feel supported at Uni? if yes/no please tell us why that is.
Once again overall yes, but do not feel like they are realistic at times as to problems with mentorship allocation/finding a qualified mentor to complete assessments
Do you prefer antenatal/intrapartum/postnatal? and why?
Toughy antenatal, I've not done that much on the ward but community a/n I really like I feel its an area needing the most support, intrapartum well what can I say I get nervous tummy and never go for a wee hardly while I'm on there lol but I do love it, and postnatal is just soooo busy and sooo many women are high risk I think its the most stressful.
What are your future plans as a midwife?
To emmigrate to NZ and eventually set up as an independent mw, maybe with mysupersalami lol x
Share your wisdom.... what would you like to pass on to other students/wanabes?
Reflect, it helps me loads, if I've had particularly pos/neg experience I come home and type in a frenzy, helps me to look back and appreciate my learning curve. Just don't bottle things up and discuss fears oh and don't be afraid to ask the 'stupid' questions I always do and have found they sometimes end in the best of discussion and debate-oh and one last thing DO NOT DO AS I DO and leave work till last minute xxxx  |